Space ISAC Conducts TTX at First International Conference
PARIS FRANCE, April 27, 2023 — the Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC), along with our founding members Aerospace Corporation, MITRE Corporation, and SES, hosted a Tabletop Exercise (TTX) as part of the CYSAT conference, organized by CYSEC, which aims to create a European ecosystem to respond to the challenges facing the European and global space industry by bringing together the space and cybersecurity communities, and to demonstrate the power of collective cyber defense for space systems.
Hera’s Revenge: Space Systems Crisis Exercise was designed to encourage collaboration between Space ISAC members, space systems hardware/software vendors, and other space industry stakeholders to identify and resolve issues related to ground station as a service (GSaaS) systems cybersecurity failures. Participants worked in teams representing one of two hypothetical GSaaS companies, with each team composed of members with different roles such as Program Manager, Systems/IT Engineer, Logistics, Cyber Engineer, and System Administrator. Teams interacted with the situation from the perspective of a larger, more established company, or that of a younger and smaller provider, in which they approached the challenge from differing capabilities that they could leverage.
The truly multinational teams leveraged their unique roles and responsibilities to troubleshoot IT systems failures and identify the appropriate timing and content of information to be shared with the wider space community. The TTX met its objectives, including generating insights into the security considerations surrounding the use of GSaaS, identifying indicators and direct reporting from the ground segment to the Space ISAC Watch Center, and promoting Space ISAC’s members and their leadership in the sector.
Samuel Visner, Vice Chair of the Space ISAC Board of Directors and Tech Fellow at the Aerospace Corporation, noted: “The exercise highlighted the importance of collective defense and threat information sharing and norms of behavior important to the expansion of the global space economy and international security.” The exercise also highlighted some of the tools available for threat information sharing such as the Space ISAC Watch Center and the potential for other information sharing partnerships. The event also emphasized the need for actionable intelligence for the space sector and facilitated discussions on building more resilient systems within the industry. The TTX was a powerful opportunity for multinational stakeholders to share their experiences and expertise on the challenges facing the European space industry. Following the exercise, the participants briefed the CYSAT2023 plenary.
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